Rach'oin, the Nation of Dwarves
The high peaks of the Rach'oin Mountains, complete with its carved mountain passes, the glacial lake of Wa'oin, and its vast interior caverns, make up the nation of Rach'oin. The Dwarves are not a purposefully secretive race, but their activities often keep them in climes and environs other races find uncomfortable. The mountain fortresses of Luma'oin, Grumer'oin, and Nur'oin act as largely autonomous entities, though all three pay homage (at least in theory) to Thane Douncan Somerled. Government For so long as any recorded history recounts, the royal family of the Dwarven nation has been that of the Somerled bloodline. While Dwarves have at time become restless under Somerled leadership, and the nobility is happy or unhappy with the current state of affairs to varying degrees, none can recount a time when a Dwarf of any other bloodline has sat on the Throne Under the Mountain, and most consider it blasphemy to question if such a time should ever come. The Somerled family sits on the Throne in Luma'oin, but the mountain fortresses of Grumer'oin and Nur'oin have their own thrones occupied by their own thanes, each of which swears loyalty to Thane Douncan every year at the appointed hour on the appointed day. Additionally, the Gnomish Council at Ippus has joined in this tradition, optiong to take part in Oathsday as well. The Somerled throne gives basic directions to the other thrones, but for the most part, each individual municipality is expected and left to run itself. Culture See the entry on Dwarves of Du'Rothin Geography Luma'oin, the northernmost Dwarven fortress, has the appearance of a large city above the surface, but is a sprawling metropolis underground. The Somerled family, the royal family of the Dwarven nation, makes its home here deep underground in an enormous stalactite hanging above the massive cavern that houses the central trade hub of the city. The citizens of Luma'oin have long ago quelled the uprisings of the various denizens of the Depp Dark, living in the warm, inviting peace of their subterranean home while the world above rages in almost perpeutal winter for all but two months out of the year. These dwarves have devoted themselves to metalcraft, jewlerymaking, gemcutting, and various other finer pursuits, producing items for trade with their Human and Gnome neighbors. It is from the deep subterranean tunnels of this city that the Dwarven navy sails forth, down the long underground channels to the Wa'oin, T'lail'en, and the sea. The strange, fully sumersible, coal-powered crafts are unique to the world, and the Dwarves are not shy of using them to both expand the merchantile reach and reinforce their territorial claims. The city of Grumer'oin is very different from the metropolis of Luma'oin. Grumer'oin is almost entirely below-ground, with only a guardpost and a gatehouse located on the surface to mark its location to passing caravans. It is situated at a lower altitude than Luma'oin, giving it's surface a more temperate climate by comparison, but the Dwarves do not count this as a blessing. The Bugbear armies of Rach'oin frequently launch relentless assaults against Grumer'oin's massive, coal-powered iron gates, and more than once the city looked as though it would fall. Its rulers take a more martial stance towards the outside world, frequently sending out armies and scouting parties to take the fight to their enemies rather than waiting for the next seige. These armies also ensure that the orcs of the south do not cross the T'lail'en River. Realizing that the Humans of the Rach'oin Plains benefit from this protection as well, they do not hesitate to extort coin from them to aid in the war effort. Nur'oin has suffered the most since the appearance of the Orcs. Its population remains small in comparison to the other Dwarven strongholds, and the foothills around the Rach'oin in this area are dotted with small outposts and forts meant to slow the advance of any hoardes that would target the southernmost city of Thane Somerlad's nation. The populace here is grizzled and veteran, well versed in conflict with both Bugbear and Orc, and very young, as few of the Dwarves live to be very old in these strongholds. It is also the only city in the Dwarven nation where female warriors are found with any frequency, as the sheer number of invasions precludes any possibility of maintaining female gender roles as apart from combat. The Shieldmaidens of Nur'oin have proven themselves, however, and are known as some of the most frightening warriors of the realm, though they rarely leave the mountain hold of their birth. Important Persons Thane Douncan Somerled - The current monarch of the Dwarven people.